The Quick Hit: It was supposed to be case of master versus student. It has become a case of student challenging master.

Quite simply, the Los Angeles Lakers, with all their star power and glitz, were expected to handle the talented but inexperienced Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, the Lakers had that Larry O’Brien swagger; the Thunder were unproven upstarts.

Durant, typically easy-going, got riled up when asked about his reaction to Jackson's comments about the referee's treatment of the forward last week.

"Do you think I overreacted?" Durant asked.

"Nah, I didn't overreact. Why, because I'm a third-year player I can't say nothing back to Phil Jackson? I'm standing up for myself and what I believe in. I really don't say nothing to too many people in this league who say stuff about me and our team and how I play and how we play. But I felt I had to say something back.

"I'm always quiet. I'm always nice and (respectful) to other people, not just on the basketball floor but off the basketball floor, like you guys. But I felt at that time I had to take up for myself. It is what it is. It's over with. It had nothing to do with this series."

Brought to you by the makers of Michael Jordan versus series, LeBron versus line, Kobe versus and the barely visited Dwayne Wade versus LeBron debates, we bring to you the latest and greatest in the long line of internet debates, Kevin Durant versus LeBron James. Yes, it is another one in a classic barn burner debates spark by large usage of extreme GIF images to represent reaction and smart witty remarks with people using a lot of free time to dissect statistics.

HoopsVibe is proud to welcome Marija Kero, better known to many of you as The Knicks Chick, to the team. Marija will be checking in with videoblogs covering everything from her beloved Knicks to Ron Artest's latest hair-related mishap. In her first piece, Marija shares her thoughts on Boston's bad temper, the surging Mavs and the ghosts of NYK past appearing in the postseason.

After Oklahoma City's 87-79 loss to the Lakers on Sunday in Game 1, I asked Kevin Durant what felt different about being out there during his first experience in the playoffs.

"Nothing really to be honest," said Durant. "A lot of people say it would be different, but it felt the same as the regular season and it was just fun and exciting to be out there. I wish we came out on the other side of the 'W', but it’s a long series."

Scott Brooks stressed multiple times that he didn't feel his team suffered from nervousness.

"There were stretches during the game where he was pressing," said Brooks of Durant. Brooks expressed liking that part of his performance, as well as what he did defensively.

Boston forward Kevin Garnett was fined $25,000 Friday by the NBA for criticizing game officials and using inappropriate language.

Garnett made the comments after the Celtics lost a 109-104 decision to Oklahoma City in Boston. He referred to a free throw discrepancy, in which Boston was 13-of-17 for the game as a team while the Thunder's Kevin Durant was 15-of-15 alone and Oklahoma City had 34 overall.

"We were playing Michael (expletive) Jordan tonight, the way he was getting the whistle," Garnett said in a post-game news conference. "Durant damn near shot more free throws than our whole team. That's the game."

Durant said he will try to sell Oklahoma City to interested players looking to join one of the league’s improving teams.

“I tell them it’s nice,’’ he said. “It depends on what kind of person it is, of course. Some guys like the big-city life and some guys like the small, rural area, too. It’s all about the person.

“I just tell them it’s a great place to play. We like each other. We like being here. We have a close-knit group and hopefully that attracts them, and if it doesn’t, we continue to work with what we have and we have faith in what we have here.’’

The Thunder are a bunch of young 20-somethings with talent and chemistry. Durant is the standout. Green is the dirty-work forward. Westbrook is the facilitator. Harden is the rookie relief off the bench. Nine of the team’s 15 players are 25 or younger and that fosters closeness, with Durant as the central figure.

After all, the Oklahoma City Thunder is loaded with young stars: Kevin Durant is becoming an elite player; recently Russell Westbrook has shown the skill-set of a top table-setter; Jeff Green, in typical Georgetown Hoya fashion, is tough as nails; and James Harden has the makings of a smart, efficient scorer.